Seventh District state representative candidate Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced that the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education (IPACE), a political branch of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), had endorsed him in the 7th District race. The teachers union group recently gave Welch $20,000.
So far, Welch has racked up the endorsement of several unions, including West Suburban Teachers Union Local 571, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), SEIU, Local 150, Local 399, Local 4851, and Northlake Firefighters Local 3863. He has also been endorsed by Mayor Pasquale of Bellwood, Mayor Sherman Jones of Broadview, Mayor Anthony Calderone of Forest Park, Mayor Joseph Tamburino of Hillside, Cook County Commissioner Earlean Collins, and Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski. He was endorsed Monday by the Sierra Club.
Also, Welch signs bearing the name “Obama” appeared on parkways around Forest Park. Fox News Chicago aired a segment on the signs, March 8, in which rivals Rory Hoskins and Princess Dempsey expressed doubts that President Obama was endorsing Welch. Welch’s campaign reportedly explained in an email, “Please know that the yard signs are not intended to be an endorsement from the Obama campaign. Instead it is an attempt to inform voters that the President is on the ballot and needs their vote this month.”
